In an effort to keep its hundreds of millions of Android users safe from malware on their phones, Google is now rolling out Google Play Protect, a security suite that resides on your handset, scanning your device around the clock.
Play Protect scans your device to make sure you are safe and secure. It also scans the apps you have installed on your device to ensure that they are working and haven’t been compromised. It even flags off any apps that are exhibiting unusual behavior. Machine learning helps Google identify problems before they spread out of control. However, if you tend to download apps from outside the Play Store, you still run the risk of being hit by a malware.
Play Protect even lets you browse Chrome with confidence. As long as you use Chrome to surf the web on your Android phone, Google promises to keep you safe. If you visit a site that Google thinks is acting out of line, it will warn you of the danger before escorting you back to safety.
While Play Protect’s app scanning feature works automatically to keep your data and device safe, you can customize its settings via Google > Security > Verify Apps in your phone’s settings. There, you can see the data like when Google last scanned your device, whether any harmful apps were found, etc.
Whats more? Google is also releasing ‘Find My Device’ as part of the release. This allows users to locate, ring, lock and even erase all the data on Android phones, tablets, and even watches.
Both features will be rolled over over the coming weeks. Play Protect will be rolling out to Android devices with Google Play Services 11 or higher.
